Onagadori

Onagadori is a Japanese long-tailed chicken from the former Tosa province, now Kochi Prefecture, and one of Japan's culturally important poultry breeds. Its name is often translated as honorable long-tailed fowl. Mature cocks carry tail and saddle feathers that may continue growing for years instead of molting normally, producing tails measured in meters under expert care. Hens are much less extreme but still show the narrow, refined build of a long-tailed breed.

Onagadori are not managed like ordinary yard chickens. Long-tailed males require dry, sheltered housing, high perches or specialized tail boxes, and careful handling to prevent feather breakage, so they are usually kept by experienced fanciers or conservation breeders. Muddy runs, rough roosts, and crowded mating pens can ruin years of feather growth. Fertility, chick rearing, and line preservation need patience because good stock is rare. In Japan the breed has protected heritage status, and outside Japan availability is limited.

Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White